Meet Kanee and Manee
Over seven years ago, Manee, a young mother, began coming to church with her children. Manee worked at a cement company with her husband Kanee. They have five children: Nam, Kem, Bai Mon, Chone, and Pone. Their home was a one-room shack with partial walls and a leaking grass roof. The cement work was grueling. The mixing, pouring, molding, and moving was mostly manual and in the heat. They would make a small amount each day for all of their work. Manee had just given birth to twins and had to continue working for their family to have enough to live on. She would carry one baby on her back, while the other stayed in her view, and then she would switch them all day long as she worked. Sunday was the best day of the week. They would all come to church faithfully and enjoy serving the Lord, except for Kanee. When we first met Kanee, he was struggling with alcohol. One Sunday in early 2014, the family came to church and let us know that Kanee was in the hospital. He had been at a temple party the night before and been attacked and beaten by a group of people. James and I went to see Kanee in the hospital right after church that morning. He was very discouraged. I told him about how we are all sinners, fall short, and how God wanted to forgive him of his sin. We clearly presented the Gospel and asked Kanee if he had ever trusted Christ as his personal Saviour. Kanee made sure of his salvation that day. Over the next six years, we have watched this family grow in Christ. It has not been without its bumps and valleys. There have been times of sickness and mistakes, but Mom and Dad have always turned to God, and God has always taken care of their needs. After the Lord healed his oldest child Nam of a serious illness, Kanee began to bring others to church with him. Kanee has become a faithful follower of Jesus Christ and a wonderful father for his children. When it comes right down to it, Kanee and Manee are rooted in the Lord.
In March of this year, just two months ago, Kanee became very sick and was in the hospital. Not being diagnosed with the Coronavirus, he was able to come home in time before the government lockdown began; however, his strength was low. Unable to work as hard as before, Kanee and Manee’s cement production decreased and thus their income. With all five children home from school, they now had to provide food that was normally covered at the schools. They couldn’t even afford to get the medicine the doctor had prescribed, so Kanee called us for help. Our God is a God of provision! That very day we received a message from someone in the U.S. who wanted to send extra monies to help for special needs. Later, in our support, we discovered churches giving for needs like these. Talking to Kanee that day, here are his words, “I am so thankful that God brought you into my life. You helped me when I didn’t know the Lord. Right now, I am still weak. I want to be well and strong, because I want to serve the Lord with you. I want to be an example and tell others that God will take care of them in any trouble. “
Society can lock down people, but God is never locked down. We praise the Lord that, through times when things are difficult, He is working in the hearts of His children. We have seen the faith of Kanee and others rise up in persecution. Thank you so much for allowing our family to be here, serving the Lord, and making a difference in the lives of people like Kanee. Please pray for complete healing and care for this family.
In spite of restrictions, the Lord has given us opportunities to share the Gospel with those willing to listen. Bro. Sakrapee and Bro. Star have posted clear messages of salvation on our church web page. Thousands have been able to watch those videos. Our churches have been able to help many needy families. At the time of this letter, our country of Thailand is slowly starting to open back up. We look forward to doing more, in person, over the coming weeks. We really look forward to more examples of how God works on hearts during a time of crisis.
Grateful to serve,
Bro. Chad Inman & Family
